rcsaddles

You guys that are braiding whips with nylon, can you give me a name, phone number and/or link for suppliers? I have a little use for that kind of material but have not yet found a supplier. Thanks, Joe

Tina, Very beautiful. You have done an exceptional job on this. The carving and coloring is wonderful. We are our own worst critic. I see every mistake I make but others don't. Just learn from the mistakes and move on. Once again, beautiful work. Joe

Hey Tony, Those look great. I think you are on the APWA site too, right? One day I would like to learn to do a whip from begining to end. Here are pictures of the roo hide whip I made.

Hey Mark, Those look very nice. I am by no stretch of the imagimation a good carver. I did do a class with Bill Gomer in Jan 08. The only thing I can see that you might improve on is the backgrounding. It could be smoother. Like I say, I'm no expert and I think they look great. I'm not sure I can even do that good. Backgrounding is what I have trouble with so I look close at it. Joe

Hi Clint and welcome aboard. Thanks for posting the pictures. It really showed me the tool you make and how effective it is. I personally do not have one but it looks to be well thought out. The best and most effective tools are made by those that use them and made them out of necessity. Thanks again, Joe

Looks great, Tom. I'm looking forward to seeing the "finished" product. I agree with the practice on something you don't care about. My scrap box is getting low because of that. Joe

Very nice. I like the idea of the custom concho on the handle. Joe

I also would like to thank each and every one of the people that make this place tick. It is great to be able to get advise, opinions and just to chat with people of a common interest. How you came up with the idea and got it off the ground is beyond me but . I have gained much knowledge by reading the posts and looking at the pictures. Personally would rather look at pictures than read but...... Many here are an inspiration to me. This thank you goes to those that Clay mentioned and Clay, but also to everyone that posts here also. Joe

Item number: 230333663942Here is the number for a cutter/beveler on ebay. In case any one is interested. Looks like it will end on March 29th. No bids as of this posting and starting at $160.00. Joe

I believe PETA really stands for People Eating Tasty Animals. I thought cannabilism was illegal, immoral and all that kind of thing. If she is dead she can not be help responsible for making others commit a crime, right? I do believe we are to take care of the animals but God put those animals here for us to use as food. I think most everyone here, if they really think about it is an animal rightist and and environmentalist. Just NOT an extremist like this wacko is. Not sure if this is worth 2 cents so can I get a penny back? Joe

My very first rawhide braiding was a 56 foot reata. Yes it may seem a little intimidating but honestly, it is a four strand braid which is pretty basic. The honda is the toughest part. If you need advise or have questions you can pm me or ask it right here. There are people on here that are much better braiders than I am. That first reata, I cut up the hide, scraped the hair off, split it and cut my own string. That was in 1993. Mary Fields was my instructor. Look for her in the Bruce Grant books. I will encourage you to do the reata. You willl learn about the moisture content of the string as well as pulling an even tension with both hands. Let us know how things are going as you are working on this. Joe

Hey Josh, Looks great. I would have to agree with the thought of cover the trigger guard. The last thing you want is something or someone pulling the trigger while the gun is still holstered. If you want to "dress it up a little" and make people think, put a strap around the middle with a snap on the outside. Makes it look like you have to unsnap it to get the gun out. Do you wet form the holster to the gun when you are done? You have done a great job and like always, you are looking for ways and ideas to improve your work. Joe

Looks great. I like the way the beveling make it look as though the horse is coming through the horseshoe. You have done a very nice job. Joe

Hi Dave, You know, word of mouth is the best kind of advertisement, even if you are the one talking to someone. I have a job that allows me to meet all kinds of people in my area. I take every opportunity to talk to them when I can. Through this, I have gotten an order for a rawhide bosal, a cell phone case, made a couple sets of saddle bags and done various repair work. Also, I need to talk to a guy about reproducing an 80 year old saddle that he just loves to ride. I guess the bottom line is, somehow always work a conversation to what your speciality is. It can be done in a way that people don't think you are being pushy or conceited. If I don't talk about the work I do, who will? I will even try to find someone that specializes in a certain product and send the work to them. I know that eventially these people will come back to me for something. Having a steady monthly income like that is great. The handles look great. Just keep them happy and things will keep rolling in. Joe

I have purchased the "horse" for the $100.00. I will post some photos when I have a chance to take some. Thanks Joe

I have a neighbor that has an old, maybe like 80 years old, stitching horse that I am looking at buying. She does not know what it is worth and I guess I do not either. I am thinking $100.00. It is in very good shape, solid and does not seem to have any splits in the wood that I have noticed. Any input or thought on the price would be great. I have bought a bunch of hand tools from her and she has a couple other things I would like to get. I checked on ebay and there are none listed that I could find. Thanks for the help. Joe

I have heard from Paul at Mid West Whips. He also has whitehide. www.midwestwhips.com Joe

Very nice. Thank you for sharing with us. It inspires me to want carving more. Joe

I happen to have two of those and one has your name on it. Send me a pm with an address and it or both can be yours. Cost? you can pass it along to someone that needs something someday. Joe

I don't know if there are any books that really talk about how to braid rawhide. What I mean by that is how to control the moisture content. Braiding is not hard but knowing when the rawhide is just right to braid is the tricky part. That seems to come with experience.

In Grant's book, Rncyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding on page 447 figures 8 -13 is what I use. This will actually be braided on both sides of the items being braided together. I really like it because it gives a better finish to the bottom side of the skirts on a saddle. Joe

Check out this web site www.apwa.org.au and on the left hand side click on the link for Dene Williams Strand cutter. I am consifering both the strand cutter and the splitter. I guess I will have to get to work to make the funds to buy though. Not trying to sway anyone away from what they are already looking at but trying to give other options. At the moment, I use the Aussie Lace Cutter. I love it and can make it work for me. Joe

That is a beautiful piece of work. I will admit, I am not a fan of the mystical, magical and skull thing but that is me. The quality of workmanship is top notch. You should be proud of the work you have done. Joe

When I am at work at the paying day job, I listen to Ranchandreata.com. It drives the teenagers nuts. At home in the leathershop I listen to older country and some of the Aussie music I brought back from there. I also listen to Christian music to help me relax and get my mind right for working. Joe

I know there has been a lot of controversity about the Ralide trees but the guy wanted a Ralide so after much discussion and throwing out ideas, pros and cons, he still wanted a Ralide so that is what he got. He does no roping or dragging of anything so we are thinking it should work for his application. If you want the number of the tree, you can pm me and I will look it up for you. This guy puts on many miles in wilderness areas in Montana during the hunting season. He wanted something fairly light to use. I used 10/12 oz leather and round skirts to a little weight. He is a Christian friend of mine that has helped me out a few times so he got what he wanted knowing the problems with a Ralide tree. This is the third saddle I have made for him. I also made the cinch. It was designed by the saddlemaker I studied under. He used to outfit in the Bob Marshall Wilderness out of Holland Lake here in Montana. He said an animal with cinch sores will actually heal while using this cinch. He used to make and sell them commercially but stopped that a few years back.